KEY POINTS:
Track star Alison Shanks successfully defended her national road time trial crown in Upper Hutt yesterday but the men's title went to a "newcomer" who won the event at his first attempt.
Glen Chadwick was born in Opunake and lived in Hawera until he was 12 before moving across the Ditch to Queensland with his parents.
He fought a keen battle with Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Gordon McCauley over the punishing 40km route.
Seeded ninth, Chadwick, 30, with no time checks to tell him how the opposition were going, clocked 51m 53s, 4s better than Counties-Manukau rider McCauley, who at one stage had a 40s advantage over Chadwick.
Third was another Counties-Manukau rider, Aaron Strong, in 53m 16s.
After succumbing to pressure from Hawkes Bay rider Jeremy Vennell, Chadwick - who has raced extensively in Asia, Europe and the US on a Queensland licence for almost a decade - joined Vennell's Ramblers Club this year, allowing him to race the New Zealand nationals.
Chadwick said the ride was a hard one. The undulating course suited him because "there were no flats" and a number of sharp turns made it a technically demanding course.
"I figured there was a tail wind going out ... so I just made sure I had enough in the engine to come back," said Chadwick, who averaged 45.3km/h.
"It feels pretty good to win a New Zealand title. It means a lot to me to win a Kiwi national title - I was born in Opunake in Taranaki under the mountain," said Chadwick, who over the years has earned the reputation of being a tough and determined racer.
He rides for American team Navigators Insurance and will join them for the Tour Down Under, which begins next week in South Australia.
For Shanks, yesterday's ride was another stop in her buildup for the world track championships in Majorca, Spain, where she will ride the 3000m individual pursuit.
It also meant a lot to defend her time trial crown - her second win in three attempts after finishing third in her national debut in 2005.
"Defending the jersey was very special, I'm truly ecstatic," the Dunedin rider said.
"Pulling the [white and black national champion's] skinsuit on today, it makes you have that extra wee determination to really go out there and give it everything.
"It was a tough ride, a crazy course with 90-degree corners, hills and downhills. "I got a call I was 30s down on [Melissa Holt] with about 8km to go and Craig told me to move it.
"I gave it everything and am absolutely stoked to come away with the win."
The men's under-23 time trial title went to Matt Haydock from Counties-Manukau, who clocked 53m 51s over 40km.
- NZPA
